The present invention relates generally to a user interface for computers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a graphical user interface that allows a user to effectively select an object in a display.
Increases in processing capability and decreases in the cost of personal computers has led to the proliferation of personal computers in all aspects of society. Personal computers are utilized in schools, homes and in business. Furthermore, with the decreased costs of personal computers, it has become more feasible from a cost perspective to use computers for tasks, and to carry out functions, which were previously done without the use of computers.
With the proliferation of computers throughout numerous aspects of life has come a trend to use graphical user interfaces which make using a computer more intuitive. A graphical user interface is a computer program designed to allow a computer user to more readily interact with a computer. Graphical user interfaces may be implemented in operating systems such as IBM OS/2(copyright) , Apple(copyright) Macintosh(copyright), and Microsoft Windows(copyright). Graphical user interfaces may also be implemented in applications such as word processing programs, database programs, spreadsheet programs, and Internet web browser programs.
Typically, graphical user interfaces employ the use of a pointing device and a display upon which objects are displayed. The display may be a cathode ray tube, an LCD screen, or any other means for allowing the user to see the graphical user interface. The pointing device may be a mouse, a trackball, a graphics tablet or any other device that may be used to move a mouse pointer across a display. Graphical user interfaces represent information to the user or commands to the computer by placing objects in the display. For example, an icon in the shape of a printer may represent a command to the computer to print a document. Another object in the form of a text line may provide the user with information.
Objects which represent a command to the computer can be selected by the user. These objects are often referred to as selectable objects. Objects which just provide information to the user are referred to as non-selectable objects. Graphical user interfaces rely on selectable objects to perform functions for the user. Selectable objects may be used to link one document to another, to open programs, or to move files. Any command given to a computer by a user may be performed by selecting a selectable object. Selectable objects have an area which surrounds them called the object area. The object area defines the boundaries of the selectable object.
Typically, a graphical user interface based application or operating system consists of many selectable objects. These objects may range from simple text lines, selection buttons, menu items, image maps, bullets, thumbnail images, icons, and several other special or customized objects. Often these selectable objects are also referred to as xe2x80x9cclickablexe2x80x9d objects or xe2x80x9chotxe2x80x9d text and are usually displayed in a contrasting color to easily distinguish them from non-selectable objects.
The general selection process for selecting a selectable object consists of moving the mouse pointer over the object area of the selectable object, identifying the selection, and then clicking a select button on the pointing device to complete the selection. Moving the mouse pointer over the object area can be a rather difficult task for the user, since many pointing devices, such as a mouse or a trackball, are at times difficult to manipulate. Many users do not have the eye-hand coordination required to move a mouse pointer over an object area within a reasonable amount of time. Once the mouse pointer is over the object area, identifying the selection is usually accomplished by one of several methods such as highlighting the object, popping-up a text vignette, or even causing the selectable object or the selectable object""s surrounding area to blink repeatedly. In an Internet web browser program, for example, the selection may be identified by displaying the hypertext linking address associated with a selectable object in the display. Once the selection of the selectable object is complete, some of the selectable object""s attributes can be changed to confirm the selection. For example, in the case where a selectable object is represented by a graphical image, the graphical image may be changed to confirm the selectable object""s selection.
Often times the object area of the selectable object is small. In this case, selecting the selectable object becomes even more difficult since the user must carefully manipulate the mouse pointer over the small object area in order to complete the selection. As a result of small object areas, the user must slow down the movement of the mouse pointer so that the user can carefully position the mouse pointer within the object area. Slowing down the movement of the mouse pointer requires the user to spend additional time and patience in order to select a selectable object. This creates a problem since often times users are short on time and patience and need to immediately select a selectable object in a display.
It is apparent from conventional graphical user interfaces that there is a need for a graphical user interface which allows the selection of an object in a display with less difficulty; which allows the user to more quickly select an object in a display; and which allows the selection of an object in a display having a small object area without having the user slow the mouse.
In view of the above limitations of existing graphical user interfaces, it is an object of the present invention to provide a graphical user interface which allows the selection of an object in a display with less difficulty.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a graphical user interface which allows the user to more quickly select an object in a display.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a graphical user interface which allows the selection of an object in a display having a small object area without having the user slow the mouse.
The above and other objects of the present invention are provided by methods, data processing systems or program products which provide a graphical user interface that provides an activation area which surrounds a selectable object in a display. The activation area is greater than an object area that defines the selectable object. The activation area extends the boundaries of the selectable object so that a user can select the selectable object by placing a mouse pointer over the activation area, instead of just the object area, and pressing a select button on a mouse. The size of the activation area is determined in accordance with the properties of the selectable object and the display. The activation area should be larger than the object area, but should not exceed the size of the display.
The activation area is defined by an expansion boundary, which is a border that outlines the size and shape of the activation area. In one preferred embodiment of this invention the activation area takes on a rectangular shape wherein the expansion boundary comprises horizontal expansion lines and vertical expansion lines that circumscribe the periphery of the activation area.
In one preferred embodiment of this invention, a selection operation is performed in the activation area to select a selectable object. In one preferred embodiment of this invention, performing the selection operation on the selectable object changes the appearance of the selectable object. In another preferred embodiment of this invention, the placement of the mouse pointer over the activation area changes the appearance of the selectable object.
In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the activation area is enlarged to a maximum activation area, which is the maximum area that the activation area can occupy. In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the maximum activation area is created by enlarging the horizontal expansion lines until vertical expansion lines abut the edge of the display, the application border, or another vertical expansion line. The vertical expansion lines are then enlarged until the horizontal expansion lines abut the edge of the display, the application border, a title bar, a menu bar, or another horizontal expansion line.
In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the maximum activation area can be set manually by the user. In another preferred embodiment of this invention, the maximum activation area can determined automatically by using an expansion program. In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the user may select an expansion program from a list of alternate expansion programs, depending on how the user would like to expand the activation area.
The activation area has many characteristics that define the appearance of the activation area in display, which include for example size, shape, color, style, style of the expansion boundary, and the color of the expansion boundary. In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the characteristics which define the activation area can be changed. The characteristics can be manually changed by the user, or any individual.
In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the display comprises a plurality of activation areas that surround a plurality of selectable objects. In one preferred embodiment of this invention, the activation areas are enlarged to maximum activation areas without overlapping any one activation area with any other activation area.
As will be appreciated by those of skill in this art, the above described aspects of the present invention may also be provided as apparatus or computer program products and is particularly well suited to program tools, applications, or operating systems which utilize a graphical user interface.